The Earl and His Butler in Constantinople
The Earl and His Butler in Constantinople

Author: Nigel Webb

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2008-11-30

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 0857712268

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George Hay, 8th Earl of Kinnoull, was an unconventional ambassador. A Scottish aristocrat who had been imprisoned for his Jacobite sympathies and almost bankrupted by his involvement in the South Sea Bubble, Lord Kinnoull had no previous diplomatic experience when he was unexpectedly appointed ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in 1729. Leaving his wife and family of ten at their Yorkshire home, Lord Kinnoull departed England for Constantinople with his political, financial and personal suitability for the role all in doubt. How would he cope with the complex world of international politics? Or negotiate the sensitive relationship between Muslims and Christians? And why was he subsequently recalled to England in disgrace?"The Earl and His Butler in Constantinople" traces Lord Kinnoull's eventful journey to the heart of the Ottoman Empire, where he served as ambassador for seven years - and back again. His butler, Samuel Medley, was his constant companion throughout this time and his is almost the only surviving servant's diary from the period. From this unique and colourful source, as well as from Lord Kinnoull's despatches and family letters, Nigel and Caroline Webb have produced a remarkable biography which casts fresh light on the Ottoman Empire and British politics in the 18th century. It also offers vivid portraits of the cosmopolitan city of Constantinople at this critical stage in its history and of an idiosyncratic Earl and his exceptional butler which will captivate readers.

Perfection
Perfection

Author: Margarette Lincoln

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2024-10-29

Total Pages: 406

ISBN-13: 0300280491

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A colourful account of women’s health, beauty, and cosmetic aids, from stays and corsets to today’s viral trends Victorian women ate arsenic to achieve an ideal, pale complexion, while in the 1790s balloon corsets were all the rage, designed to make the wearer appear pregnant. Women of the eighteenth century applied blood from a black cat’s tail to problem skin, while doctors in the 1880s promoted woollen underwear to keep colds at bay. Beautification and the pursuit of health may seem all-consuming today, but their history is long and fantastically varied. Ranging across the last four hundred years, Margarette Lincoln examines women’s health and beauty in fascinating detail. Through first-hand accounts and reports of physicians, quacks, and advertising, Lincoln captures women’s lived experience of consuming beauty products, and the excitement—and trauma—of adopting the latest fashion trends. Considering everything from body sculpture, diet, and exercise to skin, teeth, and hair, Perfection is a vibrant account of women’s body-fashioning—and shows how intimately these practices are related to community and identity throughout history.